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Immunity
Article
T Cell Allorecognition via Molecular MimicryWhitney A. Macdonald,1 Zhenjun Chen,2 Stephanie Gras,1 Julia K. Archbold,1 Fleur E. Tynan,1 Craig S. Clements,1
Mandvi Bharadwaj,2 Lars Kjer-Nielsen,2 Philippa M. Saunders,2 Matthew C.J. Wilce,1 Fran Crawford,4 Brian Stadinsky,4
David Jackson,2 Andrew G. Brooks,2 Anthony W. Purcell,3 John W. Kappler,4 Scott R. Burrows,5 Jamie Rossjohn,1,6,*and James McCluskey2,6,*1The Protein Crystallography Unit, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia2Department of Microbiology & Immunology3Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute
University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia4Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Integrated Department of Immunology, National Jewish Health, 1400 Jackson Street, Denver,
CO 80206, USA5Cellular Immunology Laboratory, Queensland Institute of Medical Research and Australian Centre for Vaccine Development,
Brisbane, 4029, Australia6These authors contributed equally to this work
*Correspondence: [email protected] (J.R.), [email protected] (J.M.)
DOI 10.1016/j.immuni.2009.09.025
SUMMARY
T cells often alloreact with foreign human leukocyteantigens (HLA). Here we showed the LC13 T cellreceptor (TCR), selected for recognition on self-HLA-B*0801 bound to a viral peptide, alloreactswith B44 allotypes (HLA-B*4402 and HLA-B*4405)bound to two different allopeptides. Despite exten-sive polymorphism between HLA-B*0801, HLA-B*4402, and HLA-B*4405 and the disparate se-quences of the viral and allopeptides, the LC13 TCRengaged these peptide-HLA (pHLA) complexes iden-tically, accommodating mimicry of the viral peptideby the allopeptide. The viral and allopeptides adop-ted similar conformations only after TCR ligation,revealing an induced-fit mechanism of molecularmimicry. The LC13 T cells did not alloreact againstHLA-B*4403, and the single residue polymorphismbetween HLA-B*4402 and HLA-B*4403 affected theplasticity of the allopeptide, revealing that molecularmimicry was associated with TCR specificity.Accordingly, molecular mimicry that is HLA andpeptide dependent is a mechanism for human T cellalloreactivity between disparate cognate and alloge-neic pHLA complexes.
INTRODUCTION
Clonally distributed ab T cell receptors (TCR) corecognize
specific antigenic peptides bound to polymorphic human leuko-
cyte antigens (HLA) of the major histocompatibility complex
(MHC) (Davis et al., 1998; Rudolph et al., 2006). HLA polymor-
phism ensures that the HLA molecules from different haplotypes
can bind a broad sample of self and microbial peptide antigens
necessary to mediate adaptive immunity (Parham and Ohta,
1996). Developing T cells in the thymus are selected for weak
recognition of one or more of the many self-peptide-HLA
I
complexes (Bevan and Hunig, 1981; Hogquist et al., 1993)
generating a large repertoire of T cells, each expressing indi-
vidual TCRs (Fink and Bevan, 1995). Inherent structural plasticity
of the TCR contributes to chance improvements in recognition of
novel peptide-HLA complexes (pHLA) that are generated when
self-peptides are replaced with foreign peptides during infection
(Garcia et al., 1998, 1999; Rudolph et al., 2006). This recognition
triggers effector immunity by responsive T cells.
Despite pHLA diversity and TCR plasticity, ab-T cell
responses remain exquisitely specific (Archbold et al., 2009)
and are developmentally restricted to recognizing host (self)
HLA (Jameson et al., 1995; Zinkernagel and Doherty, 1974),
with the exception of minor subpopulations like NKT cells
(Borg et al., 2007). This ‘‘genetic restriction’’ of MHC-directed
T cell immunity means that T cells recognize only cognate
antigen presented by one of the host HLA molecules in which
they developed (also termed MHC restriction) (Zinkernagel and
Doherty, 1974). This ‘‘law’’ of immunology is a defining paradigm
of antigen-specific T cell immunity (Garboczi and Biddison,
1999).
Surprisingly, some T cells break the ‘‘law’’ of MHC restriction
(Sherman and Chattopadhyay, 1993) by directly reacting with
‘‘foreign’’ HLA molecules from unrelated (allogeneic) individuals.
HLA polymorphism involving just one amino acid, or up to 30 or
more residues, can induce an immune response toward trans-
planted cells, the severity of which is variable. Thus, some HLA
mismatches lead to worse transplant outcomes than others,
so-called taboo mismatches (Doxiadis et al., 1996; Kawase
et al., 2007). For instance, mismatching across closely related
HLA allotypes such as HLA-B*4402 and HLA-B*4403 provokes
vigorous T cell alloreactivity (Mifsud et al., 2008) associated
with transplant rejection (Fleischhauer et al., 1990) and acute
graft-versus-host disease (Keever et al., 1994) after haemo-
poietic stem cell transplantation, despite the broadly similar
peptide repertoires of these allotypes (Macdonald et al., 2003).
In contrast, highly divergent HLA mismatches may paradoxically
have a better outcome in some transplant settings (Heemskerk
et al., 2007). Regardless, T cell alloreactivity is responsible for
much of the morbidity and mortality associated with tissue trans-
plantation, including graft-versus-host disease (Afzali et al.,
mmunity 31, 897–908, December 18, 2009 ª2009 Elsevier Inc. 897
Immunity
T Cell Alloreactivity Mediated by Molecular Mimicry
2007), making this unexplained contradiction to the phenom-
enon of MHC restriction of great clinical importance.
The paradox of alloreactivity has remained a mystery for more
than three decades (Archbold et al., 2008b; Droge, 1979; Lechler
and Lombardi, 1990), including the reasons for the high
frequency of these T cells (Lindahl and Wilson, 1977) and
whether the peptide or the HLA molecule is more important in
driving T cell alloreactivity (Bevan, 1984; Matzinger and Bevan,
1977). The HLA-centric model of alloreactivity considers that
T cells concentrate on the polymorphic HLA residues irrespec-
tive of the bound peptide. For instance, the alloreactive murine
2C TCR adopts two very different binding orientations when
bound to its host selecting-pMHC ligand versus an allogeneic
pMHC target ligand, focusing instead on a mixture of allogeneic
MHC differences and new peptide contacts (Colf et al., 2007;
Rossjohn and McCluskey, 2007). In contrast, the peptide-centric
theory of allorecognition implies that the TCR exploits the simi-
larities between the allogeneic and self-HLA molecule
(‘‘mimicry’’) and recognizes the new set of endogenous peptides
as foreign. Additionally, molecular mimicry is considered to
underpin numerous T cell autoimmune disorders but has never-
theless been difficult to establish given the explicit requirement
of the TCR to corecognize the antigens as well as the HLA mole-
cules. Moreover, limited evidence so far suggests that T cell al-
lorecognition is peptide centric (Archbold et al., 2008a; Colf
et al., 2007; Reiser et al., 2000; Speir et al., 1998) and implicates
polyspecificity as a mechanism leading to the high frequency of
alloreactive T cells (Felix et al., 2007). However, it is still unclear
whether dual recognition of disparate cognate and allogeneic
pHLA by a single TCR can involve similar binding modes, namely
operating via molecular mimicry (Archbold et al., 2008b; Ross-
john and McCluskey, 2007). Here we show that molecular
mimicry can underpin human T cell alloreactivity.
RESULTS
Peptide-Dependent Alloreactivity of LC13 T CellsTo investigate the molecular basis of natural human T cell allor-
eactivity, we examined the prototypic TCR termed LC13 that
recognizes the immunodominant HLA-B*0801-restricted
epitope, FLRGRAYGL from EBNA 3A of Epstein-Barr virus
(EBV) (Argaet et al., 1994; Burrows et al., 1994). LC13 also allor-
eacts with HLA-B*4402 and HLA-B*4405, related allotypes that
differ from each other by only one residue but differ from HLA-
B*0801 by 24 and 25 amino acids, respectively.
Alloreactivity can be either dependent or independent of the
HLA-bound peptide (Heath et al., 1989, 1991; Smith et al.,
1997a, 1997b). Therefore, we examined whether LC13 allore-
cognition of HLA-B*4405 required a specific peptide(s). Presen-
tation of the HLA-B*4405 alloantigen was examined in transfec-
tants of the class-I-HLA-deficient mutant lymphoblastoid cell line
(LCL) C1R and the TAP-deficient T2 cell line (Alexander et al.,
1989). The C1R.B*4405 cells, but not the parental C1R cells,
were lysed by LC13 cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL), indicating
constitutive presentation of an allogeneic ligand by these cells
(Figure 1A). However, coexpression of the viral TAP inhibitor
ICP47 essentially abolished allorecognition of C1R-B*4405 by
LC13 (Figure 1A), indicating TAP dependence of this allogeneic
898 Immunity 31, 897–908, December 18, 2009 ª2009 Elsevier Inc.
ligand. Exogenous loading of C1R-B*4405-ICP47 cells with viral
peptide restored recognition by an antiviral CTL clone (DM1)
(Archbold et al., 2009) but did not restore killing by LC13 CTL
(Figures 1A and 1B). The T2.B*4405 cell line was not recognized
by the human T cell line Jurkat coexpressing the LC13 ab TCR
and human CD8ab genes (LC13.Jurkat) (Beddoe et al., 2009).
Stabilization of ‘‘empty’’ HLA-B*4405 molecules with a HLA-
B*4405-binding peptide (DPa-peptide) did not sensitize the
T2.B*4405 cells for recognition by LC13.Jurkat (Figure 1C).
Notably, the T2.B*0801 and C1R.B*0801 cell lines loaded with
exogenous FLRGRAYGL viral peptide (‘‘virotope’’) activated
LC13.Jurkat (Figures 1C and 1D), as did C1R.B*4402 and
C1R.B*4405 transfectants (Figure 1D). Collectively, these data
indicate that the alloreactivity of the LC13 TCR behaved in a
peptide-dependent manner.
Identification of a Candidate Allopeptide Presentedby HLA-B*4405A major hurdle in understanding the basis of alloreactivity is the
identification of authentic antigenic peptides (the allopeptide[s])
bound to the allogeneic HLA molecule. Murine examples of allor-
eactive T cells have been the most informative to date, including
the alloreactive BM3.3 TCR (Reiser et al., 2000) and the 2C TCR
(Colf et al., 2007; Speir et al., 1998) for which pMHC allopeptide
structures are solved. However, pathogen-derived cognate
ligands for the BM3.3 and 2C T cells remain unknown.
To identify a candidate LC13 allopeptide(s), we generated
insect cells expressing individual baculoviral constructs from
a library of HLA-B*4405 molecules covalently complexed with
randomized peptides. Infected insect cells were screened for
interaction with recombinant, bivalent LC13 TCR (Crawford
et al., 2006). Repeated rounds of sorting allowed expansion of
HLA-B*4405-positive cells expressing a ligand that bound
LC13 TCR (Figure 2A). Peptide insert sequences were obtained
from 36 positive clones with 30 of these encoding the peptide
EEYLKAWTF. Searching the human proteome for analogs of the
EEYLKAWTF ‘‘mimotope’’ peptide identified two high-scoring
matches (expect values of 283 and 65, respectively), each of 9
residues (EESLKDWYF and EEYLQAFTY) and therefore repre-
senting a potential natural ‘‘allotope.’’ These peptides shared
66% (6/9 identical residues) with the mimotope and possessed
the P2E, P9Y/F anchor residues, features of B44-binding
peptides. The peptide EESLKDWYF is derived from an ATPase
but little is known about its physiologic role and expression.
The peptide EEYLQAFTY is derived from an ATP binding
cassette protein ABCD3 involved in transport of fatty acids into
the peroxisome.
The ABCD3 Allotope Is an Authentic AlloantigenRecognized by LC13We next examined recognition of the EESLKDWYF or EEYL-
QAFTY peptides by LC13.Jurkat cells (CD8+) and LC13 CTL.
The EESLKDWYF peptide did not activate LC13.Jurkat cells
and was not examined further because we conclude that this
is not a bona fide alloligand for LC13 (not shown). In contrast,
both the mimotope and EEYLQAFTY (hereafter allotope)
peptides specifically sensitized exogenously loaded T2-B*4405
cells (Figure 2B, middle) and C1R-B*4405 cells expressing
ICP47 (Figure 2B, right) for lysis by LC13 CTL.
A
C
B
D
*
**
**
0 40 80 0 50 100
Figure 1. Allorecognition of HLA-B*4405 Is Peptide Dependent(A and B) The LC13 CTL clone (A) and the HLA-B*4405-restricted CTL clone DM1 (B), specific for the EBV peptide EENLLDFVRF, were tested for killing of the
class-I-HLA-negative mutant cell line C1R and its stably transfected derivatives expressing HLA-B*4405 in the presence and absence of the TAP-inhibitor ICP47.
Cytotoxicity at four effector:target ratios is shown.
(C) Activation of LC13.Jurkat cells by the TAP-deficient, T2 cell line expressing low levels of HLA-B*4405 (T2.B*4405) and T2 cells expressing HLA-B*0801
(T2.B*0801). T cell activation is shown on the y axis as the percentage of CD69-positive cells among the GFP-positive cells.
(D) Activation of LC13.Jurkat cells by the TAP-competent C1R.B*4402 (B*4402), C1R.B*4405 (B*4405), and C1R.B*0801 cell lines as above. C1R.B*0801 trans-
fectants are transformed with a strain of EBV containing a mutation in FLRGRAYGL.
Immunity
T Cell Alloreactivity Mediated by Molecular Mimicry
To determine whether the allotope is naturally presented, the
impact of super transfection and knockdown of the ABCD3
gene was studied in cells naturally presenting B*4405-restricted
alloantigen to LC13. Super transfection of the ABCD3 gene into
C1R.B*4405 cells resulted in a modest increase in constitutive
activation of LC13.Jurkat by C1R.B*4405 and C1R.B*4402
cells (Figure S1 available online). A specific RNAi construct
was also used to knock down the natural, endogenous expres-
sion of ABCD3 in Ag-presenting cells (Figure 2C). Real-time
PCR assays of RNA expression showed that the ABCD3 allo-
tope RNAi reduced mRNA expression by >80% and con-
firmed the specificity of the RNAi constructs (semiquantitative
RT-PCR inset, Figure 2C and Figure S2). Mock treatment of
cells with irrelevant mb-actin RNAi had no impact on LC13
allorecognition (Figure 2C, middle panel histograms). In contrast,
introduction of the ABCD3 RNAi into the C1R.B*4405 cells
specifically reduced constitutive activation of LC13.Jurkat
T cells by nearly 50% (p < 0.01) (Figure 2C, right panel
histograms). Addition of exogenous allotope to the knocked
I
down Ag-presenting cells restored full activation of the
LC13.Jurkat T cells (Figure 2C). These data indicate that the
ABCD3 allotope is an authentic, natural alloantigen recognized
by the LC13 TCR.
Molecular Mimicry Underpins LC13 AlloreactivityTo understand the structural basis of the LC13 TCR alloreactiv-
ity, we determined the structures of the LC13 TCR in complex
with the HLA-B*4405 allotope and mimotope complexes to
2.6 A and 2.7 A resolution, respectively (Table 1, Tables S1
and S2). These structures were compared with the LC13-viro-
tope complex (Kjer-Nielsen et al., 2003).
The structure of the LC13 TCR-allotope complex was very
similar to the mimotope complex with a root mean square devi-
ation (rmsd) of 0.27 A over the entire complex, and remarkably,
both complexes (Figures 3A and 3B) were very similar to that of
the LC13 TCR-virotope complex (Figure 3C; Kjer-Nielsen et al.,
2003) (rmsd between the allotope and mimotope complex versus
the virotope complex was 0.87 A and 0.77 A, respectively). This
mmunity 31, 897–908, December 18, 2009 ª2009 Elsevier Inc. 899
A
B
C
Figure 2. Identification of an Authentic Allo-
ligand Recognized by LC13
(A) Baculovirus-infected insect SF9 cells, each ex-
pressing a unique peptide-B*4405 complex on
their surface, were costained with anti-b2Micro-
globulin mAb (y axis) and multimeric recombinant
LC13 TCR (x axis). LC13 staining-SF9 cells were
iteratively expanded and sorted. Sequencing of
viral constructs consistently identified a single
mimotope ligand, EEYLKAWTF.
(B) LC13 recognizes exogenous mimotope and al-
lotope peptides presented by TAP-deficient cells.
Dose-dependent recognition of exogenous allo-
tope (triangles) or mimotope (circles) peptide.
Cytotoxicity is reported as percent specific lysis
by LC13 CTL.
(C) Knockdown of C1R.B4405 recognition by LC13
after RNA interference of ABCD3. The homozy-
gous HLA-B*0801 LCL, Bm.wil, and C1R.B*4405
cell lines were treated with (+) and without (�)
ABCD3 or mouse b-actin RNAi constructs and
constitutive presentation of alloantigen was as-
sayed in the absence (open bars) or presence of
the virotope peptide (Viro) or allotope peptide
(Allo). (NS, nonsignificant; **p < 0.01). Inset shows
an electrophoresis gel photo of PCR amplification
of ABCD3 cDNA from C1R.B4405 cells in the pres-
ence (KO) and absence (WT) of specific ABCD3
RNAi treatment.
Immunity
T Cell Alloreactivity Mediated by Molecular Mimicry
similarity is reflected in the close superposition of the LC13 TCR
in these complexes and their identical 60� docking modes across
the long axis of the HLA (Figure 3D). Accordingly, the LC13 TCR
location over the C terminus of the HLA-B*4405 antigen-binding
cleft mimicked the C-terminal docking of the LC13 TCR on
the HLA-B*0801-virotope complex (Kjer-Nielsen et al., 2002a,
2003). The total buried surface area (BSA) at the allotope, mimo-
tope, and virotope complexes were all z2300 A2 and moreover,
the shape complementarity at the virotope, allotope, and mimo-
tope interfaces with LC13 was very similar (0.59, 0.64, and 0.60,
respectively).
Both the Va and Vb domains of the LC13 TCR contributed
roughly equally to the interfaces of the allotope, mimotope,
and virotope complexes (range: Va, 51.4%–56.2%, Vb,
900 Immunity 31, 897–908, December 18, 2009 ª2009 Elsevier Inc.
43.8%–48.6%), indicating that the LC13
alloreactivity is not driven by a skewed
usage of the V domains at the TCR-
pMHC interface unlike other alloreactive
complexes (Colf et al., 2007; Reiser
et al., 2000). Indeed, the number and
nature of the LC13 TCR interactions with
the pHLA B*4405 in the allotope and
mimotope complexes were also very
similar to those of the LC13 TCR-virotope
complex (allotope-mimotope-virotope:
146-160-135 van der Waals [v.d.w.] inter-
actions, 15-13-14 H bonds, and 1 salt
bridge each; Table S2). Accordingly, the
LC13 TCR adopted a strikingly similar
footprint on the allogeneic HLA-B*4405-
allotope, HLA-B*4405-mimotope, and cognate HLA-B*0801-
virotope complex.
Mimicry of the TCR Footprints and Specific InteractionsAlthough the overall docking modes between the LC13 TCR-
allotope, mimotope, and virotope complexes were very similar,
this does not confirm molecular mimicry at the molecular level.
Therefore, we analyzed the individual contacts of the LC13
TCR with each of these three complexes. The relative contact
footprints of the complementarity determining region (CDR)
loops at the LC13 TCR-pHLA interfaces were also very similar
(Figure 3, bottom). Hence, to varying extents, all the CDR loops
of the LC13 TCR contributed to virotope, allotope, and mimo-
tope interactions, with only modest differences between them
Table 1. Data Collection and Refinement Statistics
Data Collection
Statistics
LC13-HLA
B4405allo
LC13-HLA
B4405mimo
Temperature 100K 100K
Space group C2 C2
Cell dimensions
(a,b,c) (A, �)
142.52, 54.24,
121.77; b = 114.43
223.12, 53.22,
143.20; b = 102.39
Resolution (A) 50-2.70 (2.80-2.70)a 50-2.60 (2.69-2.60)
Total number of
observations
70,144 159,863
Number of unique
observations
21,530 (1,278) 50,197 (4,976)
Multiplicity 3.2 (2.0) 3.2 (3.0)
Data completeness (%) 92.0 (55.6) 97.8 (97.8)
I/sI 20.1 (2.4) 12.5 (2.3)
Rmergeb (%) 5.9 (25.6) 8.5 (41.1)
Refinement Statistics
Nonhydrogen atoms
Protein 6,657 13,316
Water 27 124
Resolution (A) 2.70 2.60
Rfactorc (%) 19.7 22.1
Rfreec (%) 26.9 27.8
Rms deviations from
ideality
Bond lengths (A) 0.009 0.006
Bond angles (�) 1.202 0.926
Ramachandran plot (%)
Most favored region 87.1 90.5
Allowed region 12.0 9.0
Generously allowed region 0.6 0.4a Values in parentheses are for highest-resolution shell.b Rmerge = S j Ihkl - < Ihkl > j / SIhkl.c Rfactor = Shkl j j Fo j - j Fc j j / Shkl j Fo j for all data except z5% that were
used for Rfree calculation.
Immunity
T Cell Alloreactivity Mediated by Molecular Mimicry
(the rmsd of the respective CDR2a, CDR3a, CDR1-3b loops
within the complexes was <0.45 A) (Table S2). One slight differ-
ence was the positioning of the CDR1a loop between the allo-
tope and virotope complexes (rmsd approximately 1.0 A) (not
shown). Overall, the conformational changes of the LC13 TCR
in forming interactions with the virotope complex (Kjer-Nielsen
et al., 2002b, 2003) are mirrored in the interactions with the
HLA-B*4405-allotope and mimotope structures, despite the
differences in the antigenic peptide sequences.
The CDR1a makes conserved contacts via Gly29a, Thr30a,
and Tyr31a with the a2 helix of HLA-B*4405. The Arg62 of
HLA-B*4405 contacts the P1 residue of the allotope, and
Tyr159 of HLA-B*4405 contacts Thr30a (Figure 4A). Thr30a
and Tyr31a enveloped the ‘‘gatekeeper’’ residue Gln155, which
changed conformation upon LC13 TCR ligation in all three
complexes. Accordingly, the CDR1a loop played a similar role
in the overall contribution to interactions in the virotope complex
(18.2%) when compared to the allotope and mimotope
complexes (16%).
I
The CDR2a loop of the LC13 TCR contributed equally to the
interface in the allotope, mimotope, and virotope interactions
(approximately 8%–9%; Figures 3A–3C) and interacted via
His48a, Leu50a, Ser52a, and Val55a with the a2 helix of HLA-
B*0801 and HLA-B*4405, nestling against the long side chains
of Arg151 and Glu154 (Figure 4B). These conserved interactions
are mediated predominantly via vdw interactions (Figure 4B;
Table S2).
The CDR1b loop minimally participated in the pHLA interac-
tions (Figure 3: Table S2). In contrast, the CDR2b loop contrib-
uted equally to the interface in the allotope, virotope, and mimo-
tope interactions (approximately 13%–14%, Figure 4C), through
conserved contacts via Tyr48b, Gln50b, Asn51b, Glu52b, and
Leu55b and the a1 helix of HLA-B*0801 (residues 72–79) and
HLA-B*4405 (residues 72–83). This network of polar-mediated
contacts includes one conserved salt bridge between Glu52b
and Arg79 (Figure 4C). Ala53b makes an additional contact
with Arg75 of HLA-B*4405. Interestingly, the CDR2b loop inter-
acted with HLA-B*4405 position 83, a polymorphic site between
HLA-B*4405 (Arg83) and HLA-B*0801 (Gly83) (Figure 4C).
However, previous mutagenesis has indicated that the CDR2b
loop plays a minor energetic role in the LC13 TCR-HLA-B8-viro-
tope interaction and is therefore unlikely to be important in allo-
geneic recognition (Borg et al., 2005).
The CDR3a and CDR3b regions contributed approximately
equally at the allotope, virotope, and mimotope interfaces
(18.9%–21.4% and 24%–25.6%, respectively; Figure 3). The
CDR3b loop dominated contacts with the respective peptides
(discussed below), whereas the CDR3a loop played a larger
role in interacting with the HLA heavy chain a1 helix and also
forming interactions with Leu94a and Gln155 of the a2 helix
that are conserved across all three complexes (Figure 4D). The
conserved interactions between the three complexes also
included Gly96a to the aliphatic base of Arg62; Gly97a to Ile66;
and contacts via Thr98a and Tyr100a (Figure 4D). Ser99a makes
a new B*4405 contact not present in HLA B*0801. The CDR3b
loop, which abutted the CDR3a loop and sits centrally above
the Ag-binding cleft, mediated contacts with the a1 and the a2
helix of the HLA, in which Gln98b and Tyr100b protruded into
the cleft to form conserved interactions along with Leu96b and
Gly97b.
Accordingly, a very high degree of mimicry of the cognate
HLA-B*0801-virotope underpinned LC13 TCR interactions
conserved across the HLA-B*4405-allotope and mimotope
complexes.
Peptide-Dependent Molecular MimicryGiven the differences in the sequences between the cognate vi-
rotope, allotope, and mimotope, it was unclear, a priori, whether
the peptide-mediated interactions made by the LC13 TCR would
be similar between all three complexes. Therefore, we compared
the mode of binding of the LC13 TCR to the different peptides.
Upon superposition, the rmsd of the HLA-bound cognate
peptide with respect to the bound allotope and mimotope was
0.79 A and, thus, within the ternary complexes, the peptides
adopted similar conformations within the respective Ag-binding
cleft (Figure 5). Although the LC13 TCR also interacted with
the N-terminal region of the allotope and mimotope peptides
(Figures 5A and 5B), the extensive interactions with the
mmunity 31, 897–908, December 18, 2009 ª2009 Elsevier Inc. 901
A B C D
Figure 3. Footprint of LC13 TCR in Complex with HLA-B*4405-Allotope, HLA-B*4405-Mimotope, and HLA-B*0801-Virotope
(A–C) Ribbon representation of the LC13 TCR in complex with HLA-B*4405-allotope (A), HLA-B*4405-mimotope (B), and HLA-B*0801-virotope (C). TCR a chain is
in pale pink; the b-chain is in pale blue, HLA-B*4405 is in dark gray, HLA-B*0801 in pale gray, the peptide is in stick format, colored marine for the allotope (A),
orange for the mimotope (B), and purple for the virotope (C). Residues contacted by the CDR loops are colored in red (CDR1a), green (CDR2a), blue (CDR3a),
orange (CDR1b), pink (CDR2b) and cyan (CDR3b) in the three complexes.
(D) Superposition of LC13 TCR (allotope, blue-green; virotope, purple) in complex with HLA-B*4405-allotope and HLA-B*0801-virotope. The surface represen-
tation of HLA-B*0801-virotope at the bottom of the panel shows the CDR loops of the LC13 TCR in complex with HLA-B*4405-allotope (in marine) and with HLA-
B*0801-virotope (in purple). The black spheres represent the orientation on the Va and Vb chains of the LC13 TCR calculated by center of mass.
Immunity
T Cell Alloreactivity Mediated by Molecular Mimicry
C-terminal (P6–8) region of the peptides, known to be critical for
recognition of the virotope (Kjer-Nielsen et al., 2003), were highly
similar in all three complexes. Namely, the C-terminal residues of
both the allotope (P6-Ala, P7-Phe, P8-Thr) and mimotope
(P6-Ala, P7-Trp, P8-Thr) include a bulky aromatic side chain at
P7 that was flanked by small amino acids, a feature important
for LC13 recognition of the virotope (P6-Ala, P7-Tyr, P8-Gly)
(Figures 5A–5C; Kjer-Nielsen et al., 2003). Consequently,
mimicry in this region underpins how the LC13 TCR interacted
with the P6–P8 region of the allotope and the mimotope
peptides. The small P6 and P8 residues enabled the P7-aromatic
to protrude within a central pocket of the LC13 TCR, as well as
contributing to specificity-governing interactions with the LC13
TCR. Namely, the P6-Ala made a conserved interaction with
Leu94a of CDR3a and Ala99b of CDR3b, and the backbone of
P6-Ala formed a conserved H bond with Gln98b of the CDR3b
loop (Figures 5A–5C). Despite the different P8 side chains
902 Immunity 31, 897–908, December 18, 2009 ª2009 Elsevier Inc.
between the virotope (P8-Gly) and allotope/mimotope (P8-Thr),
Tyr100b of the CDR3b loop formed a conserved H bond with
the backbone of P8 (Figures 5A–5C). The aromatic structures
of the P7 residues were each sandwiched between Tyr31a and
Tyr100b and contacted Ala99b (Figures 5A–5C). The P7-TyrOH
of the virotope formed critical water-mediated interactions with
His33a and His48a (Figure 5C); however, because of the differ-
ences at this position in the mimotope (P7-Trp) and allotope
(P7-Phe), these water-mediated interactions were absent in
these complexes (Figures 5A and 5B). The P7-Trp of the mimo-
tope formed a H-bond with Tyr31a (Figure 5B). Interestingly,
mutating P7-Phe to P7-Tyr of the allotope increased recognition
by the LC13 TCR to levels comparable to that of the cognate
interaction (data not shown).
These findings also underscore the lack of recognition of the
EESLKDWYF candidate peptide identified in the BLASTp
search, because the bulky side chain of P8-Tyr in this ligand
A B
C D
Figure 4. Conserved LC13 TCR Contacts with Cognate and Allogeneic Ligands
Contacts made by the LC13 TCR with the HLA-B*4405-allotope complex. The CDR loops of the LC13 TCR are shown in stick format; the allotope is blue-green
and the HLA-B*4405 is dark gray. Interactions between LC13 TCR and HLA-B*4405 that are conserved between LC13 TCR and the HLA-B*0801-virotope are
colored in red, and those specific to HLA-B*4405 complex are colored blue. Shown are (A) CDR1a contacts, (B) CDR2a contacts, (C) CDR2b contacts, and (D)
CDR3a and CDR3b contacts. Gln155 changes conformation upon ligation and is colored cyan in the nonligated state.
Immunity
T Cell Alloreactivity Mediated by Molecular Mimicry
would sterically obstruct recognition of the P7 aromatic crucial to
recognition of the B*4405-virotope, allotope, and mimotope
complexes. Accordingly, in addition to the mimicry between
the surface topology of the HLA-B*0801 and B*4405 heavy
chains, substantial mimicry of the HLA-B*0801-restricted viro-
tope underscored how the LC13 TCR interacted with the critical
C-terminal region of the HLA-B*4405-restricted allotope and
mimotope.
Alloreactivity Discriminates between RelatedB44 AllotypesLC13 alloreacts with HLA-B*4402 and HLA-B*4405, but surpris-
ingly not with HLA-B*4403 (Burrows et al., 1994, 1995, 1997).
Therefore, we tested LC13 recognition of phytohaemagglutinin
(PHA) blast cells expressing either HLA-B*4405, HLA-B*4402,
or HLA-B*4403 after adding exogenous mimotope or allotope
peptide (Figure 6A). Consistent with the defined specificity of
LC13 (Burrows et al., 1997), the HLA-B*4403+ cells were not
recognized at physiological concentrations of the mimotope
I
peptide. This might partly reflect lower binding of the allotope
peptide to B*4403 (not shown). Interestingly, the HLA-B*4405+
cells presented both peptides more efficiently than did HLA-
B*4402. Notably, the allotope and mimotope peptides com-
plexed with HLA-B*4405 were recognized at even lower peptide
concentrations than the cognate FLRGRAYGL virotope peptide,
presented by HLA-B*0801+ PHA blasts (Figure 6A). This differ-
ence appeared to result from differential T cell recognition of
these ligands rather than differences in peptide-HLA binding
affinity, as shown by the fact that cross-blocking of pHLA-
tetramer staining of LC13-like T cells confirmed the binding hier-
archy HLA-B*4405-mimotope > HLA-B*4405-allotope > HLA-
B*0801-virotope tetramer (Figure S3).
We then tested whether fine specificity of alloreactivity and
pHLA-tetramer staining correlated with the affinity of the LC13
TCR-pHLA interaction via surface plasmon resonance (SPR)
studies. The LC13 TCR bound to the HLA-B*4405-mimotope
complex with comparable affinity to the HLA-B*4402-mimotope
complex (Kd = 1.5 mM and 1.3 mM, respectively) but interacted
mmunity 31, 897–908, December 18, 2009 ª2009 Elsevier Inc. 903
A B C
Figure 5. Mimicry in Peptide-TCR Contacts
Contacts between the LC13 TCR and the allotope EEYLQAFTY (dark blue) (A), the mimotope EEYLKAWTF (orange) (B), and the virotope FLRGRAYGL (purple) (C).
The peptide is represented in stick format and the LC13 TCR side chains involved in peptide contact are shown. Colors: CDR1a, red; CDR3a, blue; and CDR3b,
cyan. The LC13 TCR makes conserved contacts with the allotope (A), mimotope (B), and virotope (C) at positions P6–P8. In addition, the LC13 TCR makes some
water-mediated contacts (red dash lines) via His33a and His48a with the Tyr7 of the virotope (C). The interactions made by the LC13 TCR with P4-Leu of both the
allotope and mimotope peptides were exclusively via residues from the CDR3a loop and collectively this resulted in a greater contribution of the CDR3a loop in
contacting the mimotope (48.5%) and allotope (47%) when compared to the CDR3a-mediated contacts of the virotope (37%). The CDR1a loop of the LC13 TCR
contacts P3 of the mimotope.
Immunity
T Cell Alloreactivity Mediated by Molecular Mimicry
only very weakly with the HLA-B*4403-mimotope complex (Kd >
200 mM) (Figure 6B; Table S3 and Figure S4). The affinity of the
LC13 TCR for the cognate virotope complex fell between these
values (Kd �10–15 mM) (Kjer-Nielsen et al., 2003).
The LC13 TCR bound the HLA-B*4405-allotope complex with
a higher affinity than the HLA-B*4402-allotope complex (Kd
�49 mM versus�189 mM) (Figure 6C; Table S3), whereas binding
of the LC13 TCR to the HLA-B*4403-allotope complex was very
weak (Kd > 200 mM) (Figure 6C; Figure S4 and Table S3), consis-
tent with the lack of LC13 T cell alloreactivity on HLA-B*4403
(Figure 6A; Burrows et al., 1994, 1995, 1997). Taken together,
the cellular recognition and SPR binding studies reflect the
intrinsic ability of LC13 TCR to discriminate closely related
HLA-B44 allotypes presenting either the mimotope or allotope
determinants, despite the hidden nature of the polymorphic
HLA residues that distinguish these allotypes.
Molecular Basis for Fine Specificity of AlloreactivityTo better understand how the LC13 TCR could discriminate
between HLA-B*4405, HLA-B*4403, and HLA-B*4402 when
bound to the allotope and its mimotope, we determined the
structures of the six binary pHLA-B44 complexes to high reso-
lution (Table S1 and Figure S5). These three allotypes differ
from each other by only 1–2 amino acids in nonexposed posi-
tions unable to directly impact on TCR recognition (residue 116
located in the F pocket and/or residue 156 on the a2 helix, D/E
pocket). Superposition of the HLA-B*4405, HLA-B*4402, and
HLA-B*4403-mimotope complexes revealed virtually no move-
ment of the Ag-binding clefts and modest movements in the
peptide attributable to the interactions between the polymor-
phic residues and the bound peptide (Figure S5). Similarly,
superposing the HLA-B*4405, HLA-B*4402, and HLA-B*4403-
allotope complexes revealed virtually no movement of the
MHC-I heavy chain or the peptide (rmsd 0.18 A and 0.15 A,
respectively).
904 Immunity 31, 897–908, December 18, 2009 ª2009 Elsevier Inc.
The conformation of the allotope and mimotope in their
respective LC13-ternary complexes were very similar (rmsd z0.31 A) (Figure 6D). However, when the structures of the HLA-
B*4405-allotope and HLA-B*4405-mimotope were compared
in the absence of LC13 TCR ligation, the conformation of the
allotope and the mimotope differed markedly (rmsd 0.94 A)
whereas the HLA Ag-binding cleft adopted the same conforma-
tion (rmsd 0.20 A) (Figure 6E). Namely, there were major differ-
ences in the conformation of the peptides between P3-Tyr and
P7-Trp/Phe, where, for example, P5-Gln of the allotope and
the P5-Lys of the mimotope pointed down or upwards from
the Ag-binding cleft, respectively.
This observation revealed that conformational plasticity of the
allotope and mimotope play an important role in the alloresponse
(compare Figures 6D and 6E). For example, upon ligation, the
P3-Tyr of the allotope rotated downwards to avoid steric clashes
with Gln155, but nevertheless maintained an H bond with
Asp156 and formed an additional H bond to Asp114 (Figure 6F).
Additionally, the mimotope is significantly remodeled upon LC13
TCR ligation (Figure 6G). Namely, the CDR1a and CDR3a loops
pushed down the central region of the mimotope (Figure 5B),
causing P4-Leu to be shifted aside and P5-Lys to flip downwards
into the Ag-binding cleft, forming an H bond to Tyr116 and salt
bridging to Asp114 and Asp156 (Figure 6G). The movement of
Gln155 (Figure 4D) also caused a remodeling of P3-Tyr and
P7-Trp, where the P3-Tyr rotated downwards to form a H bond
with Asp156 and the P7-Trp side chain flips 180� to establish
more contacts with the LC13 TCR. Collectively, the mimotope
and allotope mimicked the conformation of the virotope only in
the ligated state and thus peptide-dependent molecular mimicry
is ‘‘forced’’ by the LC13 TCR (Figures 6D and 6E). However, the
LC13 TCR-induced plasticity of the mimotope and allotope
would be disfavored in HLA-B*4403 as a result of Leu156.
Namely, similar plasticity of the mimotope would result in a
buried and uncompensated charge at P5-Lys. Regarding the
A
B C
D E F G
Figure 6. Fine Specificity of the Alloreaction
(A) LC13 recognizes the mimotope and allotope peptides presented by HLA-B*4402 and HLA-B*4405 but not HLA-B*4403. LC13 CTL cytotoxicity of PHA-stim-
ulated T cell lines expressing either HLA-B*4405, HLA-B*4402, or HLA-B*4403. PHA blasts downregulate MHC-I and lose their capacity to be lysed by the LC13
CTLs allowing them to be used as exogenous peptide-presenting targets. Dose response of cytotoxicity on allotope (triangles) or mimotope (circles) peptide.
Lysis of HLA-B*0801-positive PHA blasts loaded with the virotope (squares) is also shown.
(B and C) LC13 TCR binding of HLA-B*4405, HLA-B*4402, and HLA-B*4403 in complex with the mimotope (B) and the allotope (C) as determined by SPR.
(D) Superposition of the allotope (blue-green) and the mimotope (orange) bound to the HLA-B*4405 in the LC13 TCR ligated state.
(E) Structure of the allotope (pink) superposed on the mimotope (green) in complex with HLA-B*4405 but unliganded by LC13.
(F) Conformational change of the allotope in the nonligated (pink) and LC13 TCR-ligated state (marine).
(G) Superposition of the mimotope in complex with HLA-B*4405 both unliganded (green) and liganded (orange) to the LC13 TCR. During the LC13 TCR ligation,
the mimotope undergoes a structural change with the flipping of Lys5. The polymorphic HLA positions (Tyr116 and Asp156 in HLA-B*4405) and the conserved
Asp114 are shown in stick format.
Immunity
T Cell Alloreactivity Mediated by Molecular Mimicry
HLA-B*4403-allotope complex, movement of P3-Tyr would
result in its hydroxyl moiety being unfavorably located in a hydro-
phobic pocket. Thus, the fine specificity of the alloreactivity was
partly a consequence of the differential ability of HLA-B*4405,
HLA-B*4402, and HLA-B*4403 to accommodate plasticity of the
mimotope and allotope upon TCR ligation, further highlighting
the role and sensitivity of peptide-dependent molecular mimicry.
DISCUSSION
Molecular mimicry, namely when similar structures from dissim-
ilar proteins function in similar ways, is considered to underpin
receptor-ligand cross-reactivity in many biological systems
(Mariuzza and Poljak, 1993; Oldstone, 1987) and represents
a central tenet for therapeutic development of analog drugs.
Described in the 1980s in an immunological context (Williams,
I
1983), molecular mimicry is thought to be the basis for a number
of B cell autoimmune disorders, whereby the epitope from the
pathogen mimics the conformation of the self-ligand (Oldstone,
1987; Rose and Mackay, 2000). Evidence for molecular mimicry
of T cell ligands, though long suspected, has been harder to
establish structurally (Quaratino et al., 1995) because of the
dual specificity of T cell recognition for MHC and peptide. None-
theless, evidence is accumulating for mimicry as a basis of some
T cell autoimmunity (Harkiolaki et al., 2009; Hausmann et al.,
1999; Wucherpfennig and Strominger, 1995) and that T cell
cross-reactivity may be dependent on a few conserved germ-
line-encoded interactions (Dai et al., 2008). Here we describe
how extensive molecular mimicry underpins direct, human
T cell alloreactivity, a structurally unresolved phenomenon that
leads to tissue destruction and transplant rejection. In antiviral
immunity, small differences in the peptide or HLA molecule can
mmunity 31, 897–908, December 18, 2009 ª2009 Elsevier Inc. 905
Immunity
T Cell Alloreactivity Mediated by Molecular Mimicry
effectively ablate TCR corecognition of the viral determinant
bound to the HLA molecule. Thus, a priori it was unexpected
that a human T cell alloreaction between disparate HLA allotypes
was attributable to molecular mimicry. Indeed, a previously
described example of murine T cell alloreactivity showed how
the TCR adopted markedly different docking strategies when
recognizing self versus foreign ligands (Colf et al., 2007). To
exemplify this point further, HLA-B*4405 differs from HLA-
B*0801 by 25 amino acids in the Ag-binding cleft, of which 5 resi-
dues (positions 80, 82, 83, 163, and 167) are surface exposed and
potentially available for TCR contact. In the 2C TCR system of
alloreactivity, H2-Kb and H2-Ld molecules differ by 31 residues,
of which only 4 polymorphic residues are solvent exposed for
potentialTCRcontact (Colfetal.,2007).Moreover, ifoneconsiders
the apparent relatedness between the surface topologies of HLA-
B8 and HLA-B44, one would have anticipated that the LC13 TCR
alloreacts against all HLA-B44 allotopes, and this is clearly not
the case for HLA-B*4403, which differs from HLA-B*4405 by
only two buried polymorphic residues (Zernich et al., 2004).
In our study, the viral and allotrope peptides adopted similar
conformations only after binding the TCR. This induced-fit mech-
anism of molecular mimicry further explained why the TCR could
effectively discriminate between subtle polymorphic differences
between the foreign HLA-B*4402, HLA-B*4405, and HLA-
B*4403 allotypes. Thus, our data not only highlight the intricate
peptide dependence of T cell alloreactivity but also show that
direct T cell alloreactivity is attributable to exquisite specificity
of the TCR rather than degenerate recognition of MHC. Our find-
ings suggest that in transplantation, nonpermissive taboo
mismatches (Doxiadis et al., 1996) might depend on serendipi-
tous mimicry that is lacking in permissive mismatches.
Our observations in the LC13 TCR system and the contrasting
observations in the 2C TCR system raise the intriguing question
of whether molecular mimicry, or alternatively, disparate docking
modes between the cognate and allo-ligand will best explain the
general phenomenon of alloreactivity. The LC13 TCR system
describes alloreactivity between two disparate allotypes.
Because the LC13 TCR can alloreact via mimicry between these
two disparate allotypes, then it follows that alloreactivity
between more related alleles is likely to arise from mimicry.
Moreover, it also anticipated that molecular mimicry operates
between the alloreactions between HLA-B8 and HLA-B*3508
(Archbold et al., 2006) and between HLA-B*3508 and HLA-B44
(Tynan et al., 2005). Moreover, as T cells undergo thymic selec-
tion against self-pMHC, they are inherently cross-reactive, and
germline-encoded interactions are considered to underpin
MHC restriction (Scott-Browne et al., 2009); this further suggests
that mimicry will underpin most alloreactions. Consistent with
this, recent data (Dai et al., 2008; Rubtsova et al., 2009) suggest
that there are conserved CDR1/CDR2 interactions between the
cognate pMHC ligands and allogeneic-MHC class II molecules,
thereby indicating that molecular mimicry underpins this allore-
action. Nevertheless, more definitive data will be required
regarding the relative roles of mimicry versus disparate docking
modes typifying alloreactivity, and we suspect that there will be
a ‘‘sliding scale’’ between the two examples as suggested by the
2C TCR and LC13 TCR system.
To avoid auto-reactivity, the alloreactive LC13 clonotype
is absent from the peripheral T cell repertoire of HLA-
906 Immunity 31, 897–908, December 18, 2009 ª2009 Elsevier Inc.
B*0801+B*4402+ individuals (Burrows et al., 1995, 1997), instead
using an alternative T cell repertoire to recognize the HLA-
B8-restricted, FLR-virotope. Similar reshaping of the T cell
repertoire occurs in HLA-B*0801+B*4403+ heterozygotes
(Burrows et al., 1997), indicating that the LC13 clonotype is
sensitive to HLA-B*4403 in the thymus but not in the periphery.
This reflects the 30- to 100-fold increased ligand responsive-
ness of developing T cells compared with mature peripheral
T cells (Yagi and Janeway, 1990). Thus, although HLA-B*4403
appears to bind the allotope peptide less efficiently than
HLA-B*4405, this determinant is apparently still naturally pre-
sented with physiological consequences for the developing
T cell repertoire.
In line with molecular mimicry defining the LC13 alloreaction,
a prototypical TCR from the virotope-specific T cell repertoire
of HLA-B*0801+B*4402+ heterozygous individuals focused on
HLA-B*0801 residues that were polymorphic relative to HLA-
B44 (Gras et al., 2009). Molecular mimicry and aberrant T cell
reactivity represent important and long-standing themes in
immunology, and here these concepts converge to provide
a basis for understanding peptide-centric T cell alloreactivity.
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES
Cell Lines and Transfectants
The class I reduced human B lymphoblastoid cell line Hmy2.C1R (C1R)
expresses HLA-Cw4 and has very low levels of HLA-B*3503 (Zemmour
et al., 1992). Transfection of C1R with HLA-B*4402, HLA-B*4403 (Macdonald
et al., 2003), or HLA-B*4405 with or without the herpes simplex virus TAP-
inhibitor ICP47 has been described previously (Zernich et al., 2004). BM.wil
is a human HLA-B*0801 homozygous, lymphoblastoid cell line transformed
with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) (Charron, 1997) and constitutively expressing
low levels of EBV antigens including the FLRGRAYGL determinant (Burrows
et al., 1994). The T 3 B hybrid 174 3 CEM.T2 (T2) lacks TAP genes and its
transfectant derivatives, T2.B*0801 and T2.B*4405, express low levels of
‘‘empty’’ MHC-I gene products at the cell surface (Alexander et al., 1989;
Man et al., 1992). Jurkat.LC13 cells were generated by the retroviral transduc-
tion of the CD8a and b chains into Jurkat cells, as well as the LC13 TCR a and
b genes. The LC13 (Burrows et al., 1994) and DM1 (Archbold et al., 2009) anti-
viral CTL cones have been previously described.
Identification of Endogenous Alloligand
A randomized peptide library was engineered in complex with HLA-B*4405
molecules in a baculovirus vector (Crawford et al., 2006). The potential nona-
meric ‘‘allopeptide’’ library was constructed with random oligonucleotides but
fixing codons encoding P1E, a residue not likely to be involved in LC13 recog-
nition and the HLA-B*4405 anchor sites P2E and P9F or Y. PCR fragments
encoding the library were ligated to constructs encoding b2microglobulin
and the HLA-B*4405 heavy chain directing expression of individual HLA-
B*4405-peptide complexes from each virus. SF9 cells were infected with the
amplified viral stocks containing the HLA-B*4405-peptide library so that
each infected cell displayed a unique peptide-HLA complex. Cells were cos-
tained with fluoresceinated anti-b2Microglobulin, and fluorochrome-labeled
LC13 TCR ectodomain made multimeric with an anti-TCR mAb. Rare cells ex-
pressing HLA-B*4405-peptide complexes that bound LC13 TCR were repeat-
edly sorted and expanded by culture in vitro. After the 4th sorting, SF9 cells
homogeneously expressed a ligand that bound both anti-b2Microglobulin
and multimeric LC13.
T Cell Activation Assays
CTL killing assays (Burrows et al., 1994) and activation of Jurkat.LC13 cells
were assayed as previously described (Beddoe et al., 2009). Essentially,
Jurkat.LC13 cells (105) were cocultured with 105 antigen-presenting cells for
4 hr at 37�C in the absence or presence of peptide. Expression of CD69 was
Immunity
T Cell Alloreactivity Mediated by Molecular Mimicry
then detected by flow cytometry gating on GFP-positive LC13.Jurkat cells.
T cell activation was measured as the percentage of CD69-positive cells
among the GFP-positive LC13.Jurkat cells relative to the unstimulated popu-
lation. RNAi knockdown of ABCD3 is described in the Supplemental Data.
Primary T cells were obtained from blood donors with the approval of the
Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry Ethics Committee Scientific Review
Panel.
Additional Data
Supplemental Data include protein expression, purification, crystallization,
structure determination, and SPR measurement.
ACCESSION NUMBERS
Coordinates have been deposited in the PDB (codes: 3KPL, 3KPM, 3KPN,
3KPO, 3KPP, 3KPQ, 3KPS, 3KPR).
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA
Supplemental Data include Supplemental Experimental Procedures, seven
figures, and three tables and can be found with this article online at http://
www.cell.com/immunity/supplemental/S1074-7613(09)00510-X.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We thank the staff at the GMCA-CAT beamline (Chicago, Advanced Photon
Source) and the PX1 Beamline at the Australian synchrotron for assistance
with data collection. We thank Hugh Reid and Kim R. Jordan for technical
advice. J.R. is a Federation Fellow of the Australian Research Council,
C.S.C. is an ARC QEII fellow, W.A.M. is a Peter Doherty Postdoctoral Fellow,
F.E.T. is a CJ Martin Fellow, and A.W.P., M.C.J.W., and S.R.B. are Senior
Research Fellows of the National Health and Medical Research Council
Australia. This work was supported by grants from the ARC, NHMRC, and
Roche Organ Transplant Research Foundation.
Received: June 10, 2009
Revised: September 10, 2009
Accepted: September 25, 2009
Published online: December 17, 2009
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